Rise Up Rochester is expanding its free monthly support group for grieving family members and friends suffering from the loss of loved ones to homicide. The monthly support group was designed to help the community find voice, access referrals, and create opportunities for advocacy. Continue Reading

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Rochester, NY

February 26th, 2016

ROC The Peace and Rise Up Rochester, Inc. have chosen “Love Powers Peace” as this year’s theme for the 7th Annual Rise Up & ROC The Peace Fest. To garner an even broader audience, the collaboration is expected to announce a creative “Love Powers Peace Art Contest.” A single winner will be chosen and announced at the 7th Annual Rise Up & ROC The Peace Fest, to be held later this year.

Children ages 12 -17 in the Greater Rochester, NY area are encouraged to participate. Participants will submit hand-drawn or computer-generated artwork which illustrates this year’s theme “Love Powers Peace.” Participants will receive exposure through an upcoming mobile app designed to allow people to vote on artwork. The winner’s artwork will receive widespread exposure, including reprints of their artwork on the official Event t-shirt.

The contest will run from March 8, 2016 12:00 AM through June 8, 2016 11:59 PM EST. Complete entry rules and eligibility information are available at lovepowerspeace.org.

The Rochester Police Department uses its crime scene tape much more than the city’s surrounding suburbs. From the drive-by triple homicide at Rochester’s only Boys & Girls last week to the shooting of 24-year old on Portland Avenue last night, local residents are crying out for relief in what seems to be a city in torment. Continue Reading

I think one of the problems we (both adults and teens) are not understanding is that these kids are intelligent, but their brains aren’t done growing yet. For example, the prefrontal cortex, a part of the brain that inhibits impulse reactions and controls behavior, isn’t really fully developed until around age 25. Kids who have lived in/near the poverty line probably develop even slower. So a teenager is more likely to explode in a stressful situation.Continue Reading

ROC The Peace in conjunction with Rise Up Rochester will join area residents, community leaders and religious leader this morning to conduct a Prayer Circle– a vigil where we join hands in a circle of prayer to begin the healing of our community and the families involved. We will begin at 11:30 AM at the Boys & Girls Club at 500 Genesee St, Rochester, NY 14611.

Our biggest event yet, the 6th Annual Rise Up & ROC The Peace Fest was another successful event full of laughter, cheer and fun for the entire family. Please feel free to share a photo with your friends and followers! Continue Reading

ROC the Peace founder Sirena Cotton sits down with Setting The Tone Radio™ LIVE to discuss this year’s July 18th event. She also addresses some pertinent issues facing the community. Cotton is joined in the discussion by fellow RTP volunteer and activist Carlos Quinones. He is a recording artist known by the monikers C-Lo Dubai and Upstate Original, from music collective H.E.X.X.

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